And Then We Met
by Fantastic Beasts in the TARDIS
Summary: When Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons were recruited by SHIELD, neither of them expected to meet their soulmate, platonic or otherwise. Follow them from the day they met at the academy to their first day on Coulson's team. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- Greetings! I wrote the first chapter of a thing. I kinda messed up ages I think. Also how does SHIELD recruit? I don't really know. **

Jemma Simmons surveyed the mismatched group of people sitting in the lecture hall as she walked in. She saw people who seemed to have fire coming from their hands and people in lab coats holding gadgets. She suddenly felt very self-conscious in her jeans and blazer. She knew she should have brought something. Maybe an experiment to show off but she couldn't change that now. A man was now standing on the stage facing the group, holding a microphone. He had an eye patch covering his left eye and Jemma sure as hell didn't want to know where his eye had gone. Realizing that whatever she was in for was about to start she quickly sat down and placed her bag on the floor. Sure enough the moment she got comfortable the man's voice was heard.

"Good morning. I'm director Nick Fury. It's a pleasure to see so many of you here with us today. I'm sure a lot of you are wondering where you are exactly. Well, welcome to SHIELD or Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division."

"What's that?" The guy with the fire hands shouted.

"Excellent question. We are an espionage and law-enforcement agency who deal primarily with superhuman threats."

"Like Dr. Banner?"

"That's classified. As I was saying, you are all here because we recruited you. Each and every one of you were handpicked because you are the best. In a few moments you will be separated into groups and receive further information from some top operatives. At that time you will be able to decide if you would like to continue into the training program or not." Jemma looked around the room and saw that a quite a few men and women in suits had stepped into the room. Everyone around her seemed to be getting up so she did as well. She was separated out into a group led by a man who looked to be maybe twenty years older than her. He guided the group into a smaller conference room with a long oblong table.

"Help yourselves to some coffee. I know it's early." He gestured to the coffee machine.

Jemma watched as the others got coffee. She realized quickly that she was one of the youngest in the room at just twenty-one years old. But, she was used to it. Having skipped more than one grade had made her the youngest in her class to take GCSEs and A-levels. She was the youngest at her University and the youngest in her PhD program. So, she paid no attention to the age difference between her and her colleagues. After all, she thought, age was just a number and had no relationship to her knowledge.

When everyone was settled he introduced himself, "I'm Agent Phil Coulson. As you've probably guessed, SHIELD is a top-secret organization. I'll be passing out a packet to explain the rest." Sure enough a folder was handed to each of them. Jemma got her folder and opened it to begin reading. Halfway through the second page there was a disruption. She looked down the table to see that somehow a guy had managed to get all the papers to fall out of his folder.

"Sorry. Sorry. So sorry all. Don't mind me." He said in a Scottish accent as he picked papers up and tried to put them in the right order.* Jemma smiled to herself. She'd been homesick since coming to America that his accent was a comfort to her, reminding her of home in England. She stood up and grabbed her folder, walking over to him and crouching down next to the strange guy. He looked to be about her age and seemed as flustered with the whole situation as she felt.

"Here. You can look at mine and figure out what order the pages go in." She said.

"Thanks. Fitz, engineering." He stuck out his hand and smiled.

"Simmons, biochem." She shook his hand and looked down at his papers, "How did this happen?"

"Eh. I was taking out the clasps to try and make a bot with the motor I had in my pocket."

"And how'd that go?" He grinned and took out a small crude robot and put it on the ground. It started crawling about the room.

"Quite well. If I do say so myself." Jemma watched it scamper about. He was talented that was for sure, "Where're you from? That's not an American accent."

"Right you are. I'm from Sheffield. How about you?"

"Glasgow." He responded.

"Is everything okay here?" The agent whose name both scientists had forgotten was standing over them, observing the mess and staring at Fitz's robot. He hastily grabbed it and shoved it in his pocket before standing up and helping Simmons to her feet as well.

"Yeah. We're fine." She said.

"And you two are?"

"Fitz." She pointed to the boy next to her.

"Simmons." He pointed at her, "I'm engineering. She's biochem."

"Coulson." He stuck his hand out to both of them. They each shook it, "Are you two partners?"

"No. We've only just met." Fitz said, looking at the other scientist.

"I see. Follow me please." He led them out of the room and down a hall.

"Do you reckon we're getting kicked out of the program?" He whispered.

"No. He probably just wants to talk to us." She responded. They continued the walk in silence. Finally they reached another conference room, containing a similar table. Sitting at the head was the man, Nick Fury, who'd spoken to them before.

"Coulson? What's this?" He asked.

"They're scientists. Engineering and Biochemistry. I want to make them a team."

"We don't usually do that. Too messy. Giving partners. They become loyal to each other instead of SHIELD. You know that."

"These two, just kinda clicked."

"I trust you but if this goes wrong, its on you Coulson."

"I know sir."

"Well aren't you going to introduce us?"

"This is Director Fury. And they're Fitzsimmons."

**A/N- Well I hope you liked it! I feel like I lost it halfway through but it turned out kinda okay. If you enjoyed it review and tell me so I know if I should keep writing this one… Byeee!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- Greetings friends! I'm baaccckkk! Hope you enjoy this chapter. It's mostly just Fitzsimmons being their regular silly selves. See ya later!**

Fitz arrived at the apartment to see the door already being held open by a box full of books. He rolled his suitcase in and looked around. There was furniture but in that moment it lacked personal touches of a home. There were boxes scattered around the living room. He spotted one full of pictures and one full of kitchen supplies. The others were tightly taped shut. He rolled his case down the hall to his room, passing Jemma's room along the way. Boxes were stacked up in every corner there as well, all hers. There was a loud squawking noise and he couldn't resist peeking in to see two large parrots in a cage in the corner.

He left his bag in his room and walked back out into the living room. He realized as he walked that he knew virtually nothing about his roommate and partner. They hadn't seen each other or spoken since the day they were recruited. In fact, all he knew was that she was a biochemist and that she called herself Simmons and that she was from Sheffield. His stuff wasn't arriving for a few days and he wondered how all their things would fit.

"Fitz?" He heard his roommate shout his name from the door. When he got to her, she was struggling with a box full of beakers, stirrers, and tubing.

"Hi. Do you, ummmm, need some help?"

"Nah I got it."

"Is that the last box?"

"Yeah. Can you shut the door?" He moved the box of books out of the way and closed the door, locking both locks. She carried the box to her room and Fitz followed, unsure of where to go. She dropped it on her desk and turned to face him, "You don't mind the birds do you?"

"Of course not."

"Good. Are you okay with mice?"

"No. Any other animals I should know about?"

"My capuchin is coming in tomorrow."

"You have a pet monkey?"

"I hope that's okay. I can ask my mum to keep it if you'd rather not—"

"What? It's fine. Monkey's are fine."

"Great!" Jemma nervously fidgeted with the birdcage for a few moments, "I should, uh, unpack."

"Yeah okay. I'll be in my room. Just shout if you need me." Simmons sighed and sat on her bed. She had just begun the long process of unpacking her boxes when the Scottish boy yelled, "Fire!" She bolted up and ran to the kitchen to find the stove completely aflame. Fitz was throwing water on it with a pot trying to put it out but with no avail, "Call 999!" She ran to her cell phone and was about to dial when she remembered where she was.

"No! It's a different number here! What is it? Ah! 911!" Frantically she dialed the number and an operator picked up. She hurriedly explained the situation and gave her address. The operator told them to pull the building alarm and go outside. Simmons grabbed her roommate's arm and dragged him to her room, "Can you carry the cage with the mice?" She didn't wait for an answer before shoving the cage into his arms. She opened the parrot's cage and the birds flew out and perched on her shoulders. She saw Fitz's alarmed expression, "They're trained. I was keeping them in a cage so they didn't freak you out. Don't just stand there! C'mon!" They ran as fast as they could into the hall and Jemma yanked the red handle outside of the apartment. Around them doors were opening and residents were fleeing the area.

"That's one way to meet the neighbors." Fitz muttered.

"I can't believe you're making jokes."

"It was kinda funny."

"A bit." They smiled at each other and followed the crowd down the stairs and out the door to see that emergency services were already there and hard at work putting out the fire. Moments later a black van with the SHIELD logo on it pulled into the parking lot. Coulson got out and looked the building over. He started walking towards them.

"We're in so much trouble." Fitz whispered into Jemma's ear.

"Fitzsimmons?"

"Hello sir." Jemma began, "So sorry about the, uh—"

"Fire." Fitz interrupted.

"I was gonna say 'mess' but I guess 'fire' works too."

"Why would you say 'mess'? Clearly it's a fire."

"I know that but why make it sound so serious?"

"I'm not. I'm just calling it what it is."

"You know what else I call according to exactly what it is?"

"That's enough." Coulson stepped in, "Are you two okay?"

"Of course. It's no big deal. We're fine." Simmons responded for both of them.

"How did it happen?" Both of them looked to Fitz for an answer.

"I was trying to make tea." He said quietly, looking at his feet.

"How did you start a fire while trying to make tea?" Jemma asked.

"I didn't know. It was a gas stove. I thought it was electric and the tea bag caught fire."

"That's unbelievable. I'll be doing all the cooking from now on."

"I wasn't cooking." He protested.

"Exactly. You started a fire making just tea. Imagine the damage if it was actual food."

"Well you two seem fine. I'll see you at the academy on Monday then?" Coulson said.

"Yes sir."

"Please don't start anymore fires before then."

"I think we can do that." Coulson put his sunglasses back on and nodded to them. They nodded back as he got in his car and drove off. When he was gone, the scientists breathed a sigh of relief. They stood in silence until finally the building was cleared for them to go back inside.

"D'you wanna watch a movie?" Fitz asked while they were unlocking the door.

"What movie?"

"I dunno. We could watch Snow White and the Seven Dwarves."

"Really?"

"I mean, if you think it's too childish we can watch something else."

"Its one of my favorite movies! And after the movie, we must get to know each other. I hardly know anything about you."

**A/N- I hope you enjoyed that silliness. Next chapter they'll get to know each other a bit better and perhaps the monkey will make an appearance. Reviews make me happy!**


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